Last year, this toy drive supplied all of “Santa’s Gifts” for the party.

SoB Help Kick Hunger

On Saturday, Dec. 13the Union's vocal supporters group the Sons of Ben held its annual Help Kick Hunger event at Brauhaus Schmitz (8th and South Sts., Philadelphia). This is the groups' big fundraising event that they do every year as they look to donate as much food and money to Chester's Bernadine Center ahead of the holiday season. For more information of the Sons of Ben and how you can get involved, visit the Sons of Ben website.

On Dec. 12 from 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m., members from the Union Corporate Partnerships department and Technical team connected with the other Philly sports teams down at the Philabundance warehouse to help with a morning of loading and sorting donated foods. The food was then driven from the collection spot, by Toyota vehicles, to the warehouse. Along with a host of Union front office types, Union midfielders Danny Cruz and Sebastien Le Toux donated their time for this endeavor.

SEPA Hall of Fame Coat Drive

South Eastern PA Soccer Hall of Fame has collected coats since mid-October with a goal of delivering 2,000 coats by the end of its campaign. The collection started at the pre-game festivities of two October Union home games. The coats were distributed on Dec. 12 to several locations in Chester including: Bernadine Center and St. Katherine’s of Drexel Church.

Philabundance Community Service around MLS SuperDraft

This year’s community project in association with the MLS Draft will take place at the Philabundance warehouse in South Philly. Community Relations Conference attendees along with MLS draftees will make their way to the location on Jan. 14 at 12 p.m. to assist in the massive food sorting and packing assembly line that Philabundance runs. MLS W.O.R.K.S. and Philadelphia Union Foundation will make a donation to Philabundance for the efforts in eliminating hunger in Philadelphia.

It’s week five of the #UnionTop10, just one more week before you select the Final Five winners.

Last week in Week No. 4, it was this pairing between Zac MacMath’s heroic saves in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal against FC Dallas that was matched up against the atmosphere of the fans in attendance in September’s U.S. Open Cup final.

After the dust settled, it was MacMath and his pair of stops against Blas Perez and Victor Ulloa that moved on with nearly 62 percent of the vote. While many of you commented on Facebook regarding the unforgettable nature of the USOC finals atmosphere at PPL Park, MacMath and his efforts will move on.

Coincidentally enough, it’s a pair of saves that are looking to move in this final week of voting as a pair of memorable stops kept hope alive in both matches for the Philadelphia Union. First up, we offer these back-to-back clearances off the line from Carlos Valdes against D.C. United. If you can’t recall this one, so after saving an attempt from Conor Casey, United goalkeeper Bill Hamid quickly restarts play with a long service to Fabian Espindola.

Espindola gets in clean on goal and looks as if his well-placed shot by Zac MacMath was going in until...

So it’s a pair of beauties from Valdes against another huge MacMath moment when he secured the Union a point in the final moments of the club’s match against Chicago earlier this season. On a windy April day and with time winding down, MacMath came up huge against at the time the reigning MLS MVP in Fire midfielder Mike Magee.

Not once, but twice…

Last pairing before YOU select the “Final Five.” Will it be Valdes coming up clutch against United or MacMath coming up huge against Chicago to preserve a point on the road? Vote below and then for the last time when we place the five finalists in order for you to decide the definitive best play of 2014; as always thanks to those that have voted and tell us why you picked who you did in the comments below. Voting this week is open until next Tuesday, Dec. 16.

Voting window for the Final Five pairings will open Wednesday, Dec. 17 and close with a champion moment crowned on Friday, Dec. 19.

Moving on to Week No. 4, we have a pair of moments from the team’s breathtaking run during the 2014 U.S. Open Cup. It’s the heroics of Zac MacMath in the semifinals against FC Dallas versus the atmosphere at PPL Park for the final against Seattle Sounders FC.

First up is MacMath. Of course if it wasn’t for his effort in the semifinals, the Union wouldn’t have had the opportunity to play in the championship one month later. MacMath made five saves as the Union forced penalties after 120 hard-fought minutes. But it was his performance there that stole the show. First it was against Blas Perez to give the Union the advantage. Next it was against Victor Ulloa to clinch it.

MacMath's penalty stopping abilities have been well-documented this year, highlighted by stopping each of the first three attempts he saw in MLS this season. By season's end, only Nick Rimando had stopped more penalties. So what makes this so special is the fact MacMath was already in his opponents' head as soon as the game was to be decided by penalties. After getting beat to each side on the first two attempts, MacMath was all over Perez's attempt with a diving stop to his right. His team didn't let him down, scoring on each of their four attempts at it was up Ulloa to score to keep the game going.

And it led to this...

The first finals appearance in team history. With a trophy on the line, the pre-game buzz surrounding the stadium was palpable. Then the players came out of the tunnel for what was arguably the best pre-game atmosphere in PPL Park history. And it never quit, as the Union pushed on deep into extra time. We managed to find video with no voice over so you can really hear the emotion that bellowed from every seat that night. The video is roughly 10 minutes in length, but we don't think you need to watch that much (unless of course you really want to) to get the feeling of just how loud PPL Park was and another reason what soccer is here to stay in the Greater Philadelphia region.

So now it's on you the fans. What did you like more? Was not one, but two penalty saves enough for you?

Or can you believe the scene at PPL Park for the club's first ever appearance in a championship? Vote now and tell us why in the comment section below.

And thanks for all of the votes and keep them coming. We're just two more weeks away from the Final Five.

Week No. 2 of the #UnionTop10 is in the books and it was youth over experience as a matchup between homegrown midfielder Zach Pfeffer and veteran forward Conor Casey found Pfeffer moving on to the "Final Five" with over 75 percent of the vote.

Both plays were awesome but you the fans have spoken and so it’ll be Pfeffer and his first ever goal in Major League Soccer that moves on along with Andrew Wenger's first ever Union goal , a winner in Week No. 1.

Now as we move onto Week No. 3, it's another Wenger special up against a great goal earlier this year from Danny Cruz in a commanding win against New England in Foxborough, Mass.

But first, we examine Wenger’s blast against San Jose, his first of two in a 4-2 win over the Earthquakes in August. What makes this one special is the amount power and sheer lack of an angle Wenger has when he blasts this one past San Jose’s Jon Busch.

What’s great on this play is (well, besides the ball into the box from Sebastien Le Toux) is how it looks as though Wenger’s first touch fails him. Playing the ball away from the onrushing defender it gave the illusion that Wenger killed his angle in front of net, but the turn of the hips and hitting the ball dead on made no mistake that it was headed top shelf.

Moving on…

It’s only right to pair that one with another great goal this season, this one from Danny Cruz against New England. Now with this one, yes the shot was insane in its own right, but watch the run from Cruz which starts at the edge of the Revs’ 18-yard-box.

After taking this one basically coast to coast, the speedy midfielder takes advantage of the ridiculous amount of space given by Revs defenders and launches a “Cruz missile” (see what we did there?) that gave Brad Knighton no chance of getting a hand on it. What’s great about this play is that Cruz smartly took advantage of the spacing between him and defender AJ Soares and use what has always been a trademark power shot to put the Union ahead, 2-0 in the eventual 3-1 win.

Okay, you’re up. Which one moves on? Will it be Wenger’s goal from virtually no angle or Cruz’ fast break and rocket shot? Polls are open now until next Tuesday, Dec. 2 so vote for your favorite and tell us why in the comments below.

Thanks for all who have voted so far. We’ll be back with our Week No. 4 pairings next Wednesday, Dec. 3.

The alarm clock goes off and we hit snooze. After 3-4 rounds of pressing reset on the clock we know that we need to wake up and start the day. We stumble out of bed and begin our day. Depending on your situation you may have kids that you need to get ready for school which always adds stress to your morning routine. If you don’t have kids you may have a few extra minutes that allow you time to get a fresh cup of coffee and start your day.

Whatever your situation, I believe your morning ritual is such a key factor in how your day goes. I admit I’m guilty of coming downstairs and reaching for my cell phone. I know that it’s not the best thing for me since it will most likely initiate a stress response and that is not an ideal to start the day.

Below are five (5) ways you can start your day that can have a positive impact on your health:

1. Take ten deep breaths before you jump out of bed. Many of us wake up worrying about what we need to do for the day. By taking ten deep breaths this allows you to tap into your parasympathetic system (rest and digest) which is a good way to start your day.

2. Before you reach for the coffee grab a large glass of fresh water. By adding some sea salt and lemon this will kick start your hydration for the day.

3. Get in a quick workout. If you are short on time, here is a circuit workout (videos included) that you can do with only one kettlebell or one dumbbell. Set a timer for 15-20 minutes and rest as much as you need to. Warm up with some foam rolling for five minutes and add in some mobility work (i.e. ankle mobility, hip mobility, thoracic spine mobility as well as 10 body weight squats and 10 push-ups). Keep this workout short and as always focus on good form.

One important note: Do not do this work out without FIRST warming up.

A1. Kettlebell swing: six (6) reps (Note, if you do not know how to do a proper deadlift do not do a kettlebell swing. First learn how to do a deadlift and hinge at your hips.)

4. Eat some fat and protein with a small amount of carbohydrates. By doing this early in the day it will allow you to experience the following:

a. Steady sugar levels

b. Satiety. You will feel comfortably full as you start your day. It won’t be a feeling of being bloated but rather a feeling of being satisfied as you start your day.

Here are two options for you:

Two (2) eggs (organic if possible), cooked in grass-fed butter with red peppers and some cheese mixed in. Add in a side of strawberries.

A smoothie with Hemp or whey protein, spinach (leafy), frozen raspberries and coconut oil (melted). Add in some ice and blend it up.

5. Mix in some Yoga. The morning is a great time to clear your mind and by adding in a 5-10 minute routine it can help you later in the day.

Please keep in mind that you don’t have to do all five of these things listed above. Pick one of these tips and implement them into your routine. Over time develop your own routine that will allow you to have a minimum of twenty minutes each morning for yourself. I know this will seem impossible for some but if you look at your schedule I am sure that you can carve out time for yourself. That may mean that you need to go to bed earlier or put down your cell phone. Your morning ritual is a key player in your health and well being.

We hope you are reading this as you settle in for your weekend respite. A lot of good stuff to get through both on and off the field, so let’s get right into it…

The team trained Friday at PPL Park for roughly an hour in preparation for Saturday’s tilt against the Houston Dynamo (7 p.m., purchase tickets), going through light reps and final tweaks before the final match of a three-game in eight day stretch, highlighted by Tuesday’s U.S. Open Cup finale.

However prior to training, defender Ethan White received a “shout out” on the Fox 29 “Good Day Philadelphia” show from its adorable female anchor Alex Holley. White and Holley met Thursday evening during the "Feastival" celebration at Penns Landing.

Long story short, images of the two were shown on Good Day with apparently White vowing to wear Holley’s name on his chest during Saturday’s match.

At Thursday's FIFA 15 video game launch party in New York City, it was U.S. men’s national team captain Clint Dempsey who stole the show with dropped his new rap song “Hot Fire,” but Philly was still represented well by Union midfielder Maurice Edu. Edu was a hit at the party as well, hobnobbing with fans, taking pics and taking in what as a whole was a massive day for Major League Soccer as a new logo highlighted the innovative #MLSNext campaign.

Speaking of Edu, our video team here thought he was so good the first time around that we present Mic'd Up II with Mo:

Just as good as the first one, if not better. Watch it here:

Pair of congratulations is in order for two Union players; the first is for Union forward Aaron Wheeler who will tie the knot with longtime girlfriend, Ashli on Sunday. Also, Brian Carroll has hit the 300 mark for number of starts in MLS. Carroll ranks third on the list of active players only behind Los Angeles Galaxy great Landon Donovan (307) and Real Salt Lake’s Kyle Beckerman (318).

The Philadelphia Union front office came through in penalty kicks over the Sons of the Ben to capture the recently-held fourth annual River Cup. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Philadelphia Union foundation, which supports programming in Chester and the Greater Philadelphia Region.

According to Rick Jacobs, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Union Foundation, proceeds from the River Cup were in excess of $30,000.

“Each year, it has evolved with different things working within the partnership and stadium and global side,” Jacobs said. “We’re very excited about it and what it’s about. It was an idea and we’ve taken it as an opportunity to raise money for a very worthy cause. … It’s a process and our feeling is we’ll go back and look at everything involved in the presentation to drive interest and see where we can increase money raised and interest raised for the foundation.”

When the River Cup was complete, guests were invited to stay and participate in the inaugural “Delaware River Craft Brewfest” held on Toyota Plaza.

The Delaware River Craft Brewfest included live music and entertainment, gourmet food options and a variety of vendors, including over 100 breweries. The event featured a sampling of the best crafts, imports and ciders from the United States and around the world. Samples of limited-release beers such as Goose Island Bourbon County and Scratch Series from Troegs were also available. Breweries on site include Victory, Troegs, Anchor, Rogue, Full Sail, Evolution, Starr Hill, Long Trail, Goose Island, Old Dominion, Lancaster and Magic Hat.

"In addition to the on the field rivalry the Sons of Ben have with the front office we also rival on which one can be the most charitable," said Sons of Ben president Kenny Hanson. "This gives us another chance to help out the Philadelphia Foundation...Chester is really like our second home a lot of the members of our organization spend a lot of time in Chester. We think it's important to 'pay where you play' a lot of what we do in and around Chester we try to use local businesses, when we want to give back to a community we feel as though it's important to first give back to the city of Chester and as we continue to grow [as a supporters group] we hope that with that we are big in helping our community grow and the proceeds raised from this game go a long way into doing that."

Every dollar raised from the River Cup will go to good use. It’s an event which has grown so much in four years.

“We’ll look at what we’ve done in the four years,” Jacobs said. “We know who we are and what we ultimately what the event to be. It’s a process which we’ll get together and talk about more and see what it might take us in the future.”

When asked how it felt to have Chaco on the field for the first time since the U.S. Open Cup semifinal win over FC Dallas, Union interim manager Jim Curtin said:

"Getting Cristian back was was a good opportunity to get him 70 minutes and I thought he was good. You could see the quality he has to make the final pass. He was a little rusty, but the biggest thing with him was getting him minutes and 70 minutes of an end to end was great as we try to get him back to full speed."

The match was hard fought as these annual exhibitions usually are. Harrisburg players using this as a chance to get noticed by the big brother squad and Union players making sure they aren’t on the latter end of the score line against their little bros.

In Thursday night's installment, it was the Union pulling off a 3-2 win as goals from surefooted striker Sebastien Le Toux in the 13th minute, Leo Fernandes in the 44th and a 75th minute capper from Fred secured the win in what was a great night for soccer, er football.

All of these guys will have to be back at PPL Park bright and early Friday morning as the annual team photo will be taken at midfield.

KICK TV did this awesome piece on the growth of youth academies throughout the nation. The piece largely featured the exploits of the Philadelphia Union academy which was awarded best academy on the East Coast in year-end awards from U.S. Soccer’s Developmental Academy.

In the 101st year of the U.S. Open Cup, the Union is going for the 11th title won by a Pennsylvania based club. Our graphics team mocked this up Thursday to show the breakdown.

Pretty cool graphic right? If you are looking to learn more, check out our Open Cup 101 article which provides breakdown of Open Cup history, the rich tradition of Philadelphia teams that have played in it and ties to the Union that have experience the thrill of winning it all.

The club was back in training on Friday as preparations for Sunday’s match against San Jose continued – this time with an anticipated face returning to the fray.

New Union goalkeeper Rais Mbolhi participated in the full hour long session Friday morning at PPL Park, joining Zac MacMath and rookie Andre Blake in a session of instruction with goalkeeper coach BJ Callaghan before integrating with the rest of the club for a series of drills.

“It’s good to be back, nice to be with my teammates and get going with my new club.”

While yet unknown, given the week he's had it seems unlikely Mbolhi will feature Sunday. On Wednesday, Union manager Jim Curtin told reporters that it was important the two-time FIFA World Cup veteran felt 100 percent both mentally and physically before heading back out on the pitch. Curtin also mentioned before that happened that he would have a “good sit down” with Mbolhi to see where he’s at.

Both Mbolhi and Blake remained to train with Callaghan for close to an hour post practice, so right off the bat it was impressive to see the Algerian eagerly putting in the work.

The team will have a short walk through Saturday to prepare for Sunday. Friday was more of getting the players back out on the pitch after a much needed day of rest Thursday. Also out on the pitch with the players this morning was the inspirational story of eight-year-old super fan Harry Kane Jr. who got a chance not only watch but participate in training exercises this morning.

Harry’s father, Harry Kane Sr. praised the generosity, in awe that Harry was able to hang and get so involved with the "big boys" for a day.

What was also special is that Harry got a chance meet and chat with his favorite player, forward Conor Casey.

“This is something he won’t forget for the rest of his life,” said Kane Sr. “I know my son and this is a memory that will stick with him. Everyone was so great with him and it really speaks to the volume of just how great of an organization this is.”

Mr. Kane, on behalf of all of us here at the Philadelphia Union, it was our pleasure…

Moving on…

If you missed it, defender Ray Gaddis had a one-hour “ask me anything” session Friday afternoon on Reddit. Ray was asked a variety of questions, all of which he graciously answered. To check out the full transcript of Gaddis’ AMA, click this link.

And if you wondered whether or not Gaddis had fun with it, just look at that smile...

Odds and endlines…

Season ticket holders, you have until Sunday to order your tickets to the Sept. 16 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final if you would like to sit in your seats. If you have additional questions, contact our Fan Services department at 877-21-UNION, press (1) for tickets followed by (3) for Fan Services. You can do the same if you have any questions pertaining to the revised parking setup for Lots B and C, with the ongoing construction of what will be a multi-field practice facility for the club...Be sure to check out the Match Preview and Match Preview video ahead of Sunday’s match with San Jose...Still have yet to reserve your seat to see FIFA World Cup (2014) veteran Chris Wondolowski get after FIFA World Cup (2010) veteran Maurice Edu? One click right here will solve that problem.

And finally…

The #ALSIceBucketChallenge has been going on for a while now to the tune of over $41 million dollars in charitable donations raised to the cause. Last week, the Union front office did it and on Friday, Union technical director Chris Albright was next up to get dunked on...with the help of players Andrew Wenger and Carlos Valdes, who were eager to have the chance to dump mostly crushed ice on the former MLS and U.S. national team stalwart.

A birdie tells us that Union CEO and operating partner Nick Sakiewicz is up next...Check Monday's Daily #DOOP for that one including reactions and much more from Sunday’s match.

“I do 200 crunches a night but I don’t have any abs...” (FYI, stop wasting your time with crunches)

“I don’t want to lock into a six month membership so I am not going to lift weights...”

Over the years, I have heard so many excuses from people when it comes to training. I understand exactly how hard it can be to find both the TIME and the MONEY to train. I have good news for those of you who want to maybe learn some new exercises without having to join a gym.

My solution to those of you who are on a budget and who are unable to afford a gym membership is to train outside at a park.

Here are five (5) reasons I love to train outside.

1. It’s free.

2. Most people don’t get enough sun so training outside is a great way to increase your Vitamin D levels. Believe it or not, most people are deficient in Vitamin D.

3. It’s fun. It makes you feel like a kid again.

4. Fresh air. How many times have you gone into a gym and the first thing you smell is something nasty coming off of the person on the elliptical? It looks like they have been on it for 2 hours cranking away with sweat pouring down their face. Don’t get me wrong I love to train hard and work up a sweat but if you have ever belonged to a gym you know exactly what I am talking about.

5. I sleep better at night. If I get fresh air and sunlight early in the day it helps with my sleep cycle.

Now, I still love to train at a gym 1-2 days a week but I think training outside is a great way to mix up your routine. The good news is what I am about to show you involves a small investment on your part. I have included five videos for you to watch. In each video I show a short clip of four exercises that you can include in your routine. The good news is that all you need is the following:

Kettlebells

I would recommend that you go to a fitness equipment store or go online and purchase a kettlebell. Your best bet is to find a local store so you can save on shipping. However, the equipment from Perform Better (performbetter.com)is high quality. I would recommend that you start with two kettlebells. One light one (15-20 lbs.) and one heavier one (40-60 lbs.). Over time if you can afford it add higher weights to your “at home gym”.

I made my own for $15-$20 from Home Depot material. You can purchase a good one on line or at a local sporting goods store. Cost is approximately $15-$20.

Click the video below to watch a demonstration as well as some cues for doing each exercise. As always, start slow and if you have any pain than you need to stop. For the Turkish Get Up I would recommend that you start with body weight and keep the reps low. Finally, when it comes to kettlebells it’s worth it for you to work with a person who is certified in how to use kettlebells properly.